Hello,


Recently I purchased an S 2000 for $6,000.00 just on a whim. It happened to be at a small dealership near my work, the car itself was in okay condition 240,000 something miles, AC non-functional and a check engine light for a hose that needs to be replaced (used for cold conditions) didn't affect engine performance at all. I've never driven a car this fun and was a huge upgrade from my 92 Camry (which I still have). As you have probably guessed I'm in 20's and make dumb decisions all the time, nevertheless I don't regret this decision. This car has made me actually appreciate life and was thrilled on the new possibilities ahead.



My concern is, since then I have dented the fender (driving reckless in the freeway) and most recently spun it out getting off the freeway off ramp. I ended up clipping a sidewalk, cracking my back rim and seemed to have knocked the front tires from alignment. I got lucky, I was under the influence and it was way too late and right after a day of rain. Selling this car crossed my mind the next day after realizing the damage I caused, more importantly, the damage I could have caused to others. That was the first time I ever did anything like that and made me think that maybe I'm not mature enough for this car yet..

I was thinking on possibly selling for around $4,000 as is or have it fixed and sell it for $5,000. I'm not sure I'll sell it for the price I'm asking for either... My other option is to fix it and hope those lessons were well learned, although sometimes I would prefer to have that money back in my savings..

Have any of you guys driven recklessly?? I cant be the only one..?

Please give me your thoughts, feel free to be honest; just not disrespectful..

Appreciate the help!

 

When I was in my 20's, I did reckless stuff all the time. I owned several crotch rockets and to be honest, it's a miracle I made it through alive. Wheelies, dragging knees while passing cars on highway entrance ramps, top-speed runs, you name it. I even was dumb enough to run from the cops once. I ended up getting caught because a guy from our riding group got caught and ratted us out. I crashed twice, but neither time convinced me to either grow up or sell the bikes. So yeah, I wasn't exactly very mature.

I think it's great that your able to admit that you might not be mature enough to own a car that entices you to drive recklessly. That in of itself requires a certain amount of self-awareness and maturity. The way I see it, you have two options:

1. Use this event as your "get out of jail free" card and maybe it might be enough to scare you into being more responsible with the car.

2. If you don't think you can do option one, then try to sell the car and get something boring that isn't going to encourage you to be reckless.

I'm not saying I drive like an angel. I doubt any of us do. Otherwise, we wouldn't own cars like the S2000. But with age, experience and maturity, one learns when conditions allow for a little fun, and when you need to turn it down a notch.

 

Agree with all the above. It took me way too many events to realize that doing dumb shit on the streets isnt worth it. Ive ran through a few ditches, been put in handcuffs, numerous tickets etc. I wont criticize you but absolutely take this as a learning event and know that if you want to learn car control there are tons of ways to do it legally. If you dont have a track nearby im sure there's an autocross group and it doesnt take much to get started.

Im sure others will be here shortly to tell you to sell it and youre an idiot for ruining god's chariot but its just a car and do what you wish with it.

 

Appreciate the feedback you guys, although I could blame my little incident on the rainy day, tires or my reaction time. The fact is, I've only had this car for 5 months and is actually the car I learned to drive on a manual transmission. I'm missing a whole lot of practice and a little more restraint.

I haven't completely made up my mind but I would hate to let this opportunity go to waste, I feel fortunate to have driven this car. Let's just hope the repairs aren't too expensive, thanks for your insight. Great community here from the looks of it

 

I had a Supra in my 20's. It was the car I learned to drive a manual in. I spun it late one night by shifting in a corner. I learned not to do that again and kept the car. Glad I did [I loved that car].

If money is an issue, sell it.
If bad driving is the issue then learn from it and keep the car.

 

At least you're heading in the right direction on the correct way of thinking about this. But to pile on, you do realize that a DUI will cost you upwards of $10,000 to restore your background to it's original state? I'm kind of shocked that you would take a car, at night, under the influence, with spirited driving, on wet roads.... literally a recipe for disaster especially in an AP1 which I'm assuming it is.

Seems like your head is in the right place but honestly man, are you sure an s2000 is the right move for this exact moment? You're in your twenties and I get that it's exciting. But the car is going to have it's problems soon, especially at 240,000 miles. If you fix it for some relatively high cost... a few months later it may have more problems just from age. And once it's in "not running" mode... you will have an incredibly difficult time selling it, since nobody probably wants to take a 240k+ mile car and rebuild it.



The S is considered a "cheaper" vehicle to maintain in that it has quality parts that are well-engineering and last a long time. But you've lost the "long time" with the mileage on the car. The parts themselves are very expensive, but they don't have to be replaced often in the first 200k miles which makes the car "cheap to maintain." I would consider getting into a little cheaper car for a year or two more. You've still got a lot of time to be young and have fun.

 

Its not the car it's you.

It is one of the most "non nanny" modern cars you can buy.

If you realize you have 'learn' it and take it slowly you'll have a rewarding experience.

 

For 20 years, I drove Fieros (go ahead, laugh - when they're kept up, they're awesome cars - they're getting pretty old now, though) and I knew how to wring every ounce of performance out of 140HP, new tires and excellent (1988) suspension, and I drove it with utter confidence.

My S2000 has the same weight distribution, weighs a couple hundred pounds more, is more refined with better technology, and most(?) importantly, it has 100 more HP. I already know that if I drove my S as aggressively as I freely did my Fieros, this car is gonna hurt me.

I've got more in my life now than I have ever had and every reason not to lose it all through stupidity or carelessness, so I keep that in mind every time I see an opportunity to push the G's on it - freeway on ramps were a delight in the Fieros because I knew how to push the car to the edge of the envelope without going too far, but in the S, I know I've got to find that edge and hold it but it can easily go beyond. It definitely takes a mature hand to keep it where it needs to be.

Granted, if I'd been driving an S for the same 20 years of seat time I have in Fieros, I'd know instinctively where those lines and limits are even with the 240 vs. 140 HP differences, and there are those who have been driving them for 15 years and can toss them through turns like they're slapping out dough at Domino's and come out shining, but only having driven the S for 2-1/2 months, I've got a long way to go. I just wanted to offer my unique perspective that yes, it can definitely be said that wisdom and maturity must accompany ownership and handling of not only an S, but whatever performance car you may opt for.

It's wise to recognize and acknowledge whether or not you're biting off more than you should be chewing at this stage in your life and development, and it's much better in the long run if you let your tastes in excitement grow alongside your mental, financial and emotional maturity to properly wield them.

Kudos for asking yourself these questions before something irreparable happens.

Good luck in what you decide to do.

 

Me myself haven't really pushed the car to the max yet. I plan on taking any illegal activities on the track. There's too many factors to consider when driving recklessly in the public roads. I personally love slow cruises and windy roads to corner on. That's my own personal opinion tho. I say if you plan on driving recklessly please stick to the track. It's not worth destroying a perfect s2000. Keep it clean. Keep it running rich. You'll appreciate it more

 

All very good responses to this post, this is why I love this forum so much. I was fortunate enough to get into an S2000 when I was 17 and I have been in it ever since, and not once have I spun on a public road or done anything to put my life, car, or others at risk. In my situation, the car holds a lot of value to me, so if anything were to happen to it, I'd be devastated. Even more so if it was my fault. It sounds like this is a secondary car to you and you could use some money, so my suggestion would be to sell the car and when you feel like you're ready, buy another one. The other option is to keep it, repair it, and take this as a learning experience and continue learning in a more appropriate matter. Good luck to any of the options you choose.